Titans hire Whisenhunt as head coach

The Tennessee Titans hired San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt to become their head coach.

"This is a big day for this franchise," said Titans president/CEO Tommy Smith in a statement released by the team. "Ken is a well-respected coach in this league and I am looking forward to seeing his vision become reality for this team. He has a history of building successful offenses and took Arizona to a Super Bowl as a head coach. We all share a common goal for this team and that is to build a consistent winner. I want to thank Ruston (general manager Ruston Webster) for his hard work in the process and the quality candidates that he brought in for interviews."

Whisenhunt, 51, has 17 seasons of NFL coaching experience, including six years as a head coach with the Arizona Cardinals from 2007 through 2012. He led the Cardinals to the Super Bowl following the 2008 season.

On Thursday, Whisenhunt was named the NFL's Assistant Coach of The Year by the Pro Football Writers of America for his work with the Chargers in 2013.

Whisenhunt helped resurrect the career of quarterback Kurt Warner in Arizona, and he played a major role in the strong bounce-back season quarterback Phillip Rivers had with the Chargers this year.

"I have a lot of respect for Ken as a coach and as an offensive mind," said Webster said in a statement. "The traits that stand out to me when identifying him as our next coach -- he is intelligent, has a track record with quality offenses and head coaching success. I really enjoyed our meeting on Friday night in San Diego and we share similar philosophies about the game. Additionally, we have several mutual colleagues that have spoken highly to me about Ken both as a coach and as a person. I am excited about Ken joining us and the future of the Titans."

Whisenhunt was the Chargers' offensive coordinator during the 2013 season before the Titans hired him this week.

"Jason really impresses me with his knowledge of the run and pass game and he was a big part of putting together our plans last year in San Diego," Whisenhunt said on the Titans' website. "He is very familiar with the offensive system that we want to implement here, which includes bits and pieces from a number of offensive systems.

"He is intelligent and a good communicator. He was responsible for presenting a couple of game-plan packages to our offense each week and he was impressive."

Michael's previous NFL jobs were with the Oakland Raiders as quality control coach, the New York Jets as quality control, quarterbacks and tight ends coach, and the San Francisco 49ers as quarterbacks coach.

"This is a great situation," Michael said. "The opportunity to work with Whiz and follow him there to Tennessee is exciting both professionally and personally. In the one year working with Whiz, I learned a great deal and we worked really well together. His ability to create an offense that is built around the strengths of the players led to success for us in San Diego and it will be fun to come there and create an offense that is built around a new group of players.

"Nine years ago, this would have been the job I dreamed about -- with my wife from Knoxville and going to school in Bowling Green (Ky.) -- an opportunity to come home to be the offensive coordinator for the Titans."

--The Titans confirmed the hiring of Ray Horton as defensive coordinator. Horton spent last season with the Cleveland Browns in the same position.

The 53-year-old Horton previously was the defensive coordinator under new Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt in Arizona during Whisenhunt's final two seasons as the Cardinals' head coach in 2011 and 2012.

"Scheme-wise, one of the most impressive things about Ray is his flexibility," Whisenhunt said in a statement. "He has the ability to go between a 4-3 and 3-4 and put our players in the best position to succeed. It has been evident by what he's done and where his defenses have ranked in the league over the last few years."

Under Horton last season, the Browns were ninth in the NFL in yards allowed per game (332.4) after the defense ranked 23rd the year before he arrived in Cleveland.

"I am excited about this opportunity, to be reunited with coach Whisenhunt and to be a piece of the puzzle to move this team forward," Horton said, according to The Tennessean. "I have a great deal of respect for Whiz, as someone who took a franchise (Cardinals) that had never been to the Super Bowl, he was able to take them to one.